Entertaining thousands of fans with 100 percent pure energy requires almost a pro athlete-level physical condition

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the biggest physical feat the multiple Grammy winner has achieved.

Not only is she performing a full three or four hours at peak energy, but she’s also traveling the world doing so. Some on the internet have already even compared elite pro athletes unfavorably to her, saying how she beats NBA players who need to have their playing time managed. (Her jumping, dancing, and running around the stage isn’t as physical on the joints, though, and she will likely not be falling as much as basketball players do.) At 34, it’s a run she may never replicate again, unless she works out harder at an older age.

In order to fully perform to the best of her capacity, Swift actually prepared by heading to the gym. There’s a popular Apple Music ad from nearly a decade ago or so where she’s seen running on a treadmill while singing and rapping to Drake’s “Jumpman,” then suddenly slipping and falling off—if you still remember that, the workout is kind of like that.

In her Person of the Year 2023 interview with Time Magazine, she revealed that she actually went on entire treadmill sessions every day while singing her entire Eras Tour setlist. That’s at least 40 songs from her 10 albums, and while she said she alternated her running tempo based on each song’s speed, that’s still hardcore dedication.

That’s actually the craziest part of the workout routine, and that’s considering Dogpound, the gym she goes to, also designed an actual strength and conditioning program, which includes dance training. The easiest part for her, by the way, was cutting out alcohol. (Though if you’re not going out to perform or compete and you’re healthy as a horse, you don’t need to cut it out completely—just don’t overdo it.)

All of this is in line with how most singers and artists do get in shape for concerts, even when their main act is singing. That’s still a physical tax on the body, and if the act also includes dancing then great shape is paramount to a good show.

But the real secret to a consistent Eras Tour is not the musical cardio or the strength training. The key for Taylor Swift to stay on top of a Taylor Swift game is full-on rest. She calls post-show rest periods (which usually come after three back-to-back dates) her “dead days,” in which she lays in bed all day and eats.

So if one of the biggest pop stars in the world understands that even she needs to rest, that’s also your sign to take a break if you really need one.